Eureka 7: The New War
by ShadowBrawler2000
Summary: Takes Place 1 year after the Events of the show. When they awaken, They'll need to rely on new friends and allies just to survive. RxE, HxT, DxA, OCxOC Chapter 4 Updated
1. Chapter 1: New Beginnings

_Well, after a long time, I decided to check on my old stories and read through them. After I did, the main thing on my mind is that I really could've done better. After god knows how long, I've decided to revamp current chapters and soon add more. _

Chapter 1: New Beginnings

_Prologue:_

_Two years have passed since 14 year Renton Thurston of Bell Forest, had joined the organization GekkoState. While his early experiences had been tough, causing him to even jump ship for a short time, he slowly but surely became a valued member. During his adventures, he befriended, and eventually fell in love with, the mysterious girl named Eureka. Renton had some trouble getting used to her odd behavior, along with three children she'd adopted as her own, but eventually became a good friend. After a journey into the Scub Coral, Eureka began noticing horrifying changes. Her arm as well as growing a pair of wings. Though shocked, Renton stood by her, even when she didn't want him to. When Eureka had become the new core of the Control Cluster, Renton couldn't let his love for Eureka end with Dewey's plot. His desperation and love for Eureka allowed him to control the Nirvash. The Nirvash transformed, which allowed him to defeat the Anti Body Coralians, as well as enter the control cluster. Renton freed Eureka, while the Nirvash took her place, after using her power to carve 'Renton and Eureka' onto the face of the moon. After that, the two disappeared. Shortly after, Holland had brought the kids to Renton's grandfather, Axel Thurston, to watch over while they searched for their comrades. Almost a year later, the GekkoState crew still hadn't found a trace of either of them. But their search would soon come to an end._

In a forest in an unknown Location, two blinking lights could be seen. One blue, the other red. The now 16 year old Renton Thurston had just then began to stir. He opened his eyes, taking in the surroundings. He saw that he was in the middle of a large forest in front of a large lake which glistened in the sunlight, adding to the calm atmosphere. He turned to his left, and saw his love, Eureka, still asleep against the tree.

" Eureka. Eureka?" Renton said, shaking her slightly. She stirred away, shielding her eyes from the bright sun.

" Renton. Where are we?" Eureka said, standing up. Renton saw that the sunlight made her wings glowing slightly.

" I'm not sure. We should try and find the nearest town possible." Renton said. His stomach then growled. He hadn't eaten in days from what he remembered.

" But first, something to eat." He added. Eureka agreed, managing to find some berries and a fruit tree, along with some surprising clean lake water. After the meal, they decided to walk south, in hopes of finding a town or city to rest in. They had a lot to do.

" Eureka, I wonder how long it's been since we left the Nirvash?" Renton asked.

" I'm not sure." Eureka answered. Renton asked a nearby store clerk, and received startling information.

" I can't believe we've been gone for a whole year." Renton said. He bought a map, and the two went to a diner to pick up some food. They ignored the gasps from people who saw Eureka's wings, and sat at a bench to relax. Before they knew it, several thugs were surrounding them. From what Renton could tell, there were about 30 thugs, if not more. The apparent leader was a pudgy looking person with a faux hawk as well as a stained leather vest and torn jeans. He held a large rifle in his hands, and licked his lips.

" Look what we've got here boys. A shrimp and a filthy Coralian." the leader said. The other thugs laughed maniacally.

" What do you want?" Renton said, stepping in front of Eureka.

" We just happened to stroll by, seeing you with filth. Why don't you go home, and leave this girl to us. She'll put up no trouble." The leader said, laughing under his breath.

" She's not filth!" Renton retorted. The leader's grin disappeared.

" Kid, do you know what her kind did to us? Hundreds of people were slaughtered, for doing nothing! She deserves to die, along with the rest of her kind." The leader said, clenching his fingers around his weapon.

" That wasn't their fault. Those people were pawns in Dewey's scheme. She..." Renton started, before the thug smashed the butt of his rifle into Renton's face, knocking him to the ground, the taste of blood forming in his mouth as Eureka knelt down to him.

" You had your chance kid. Now I have to kill both of you." The thug said, aiming his weapon at the two. The thug pulled the trigger, and heard a loud noise. The two closed their eyes. When they opened them, they saw that they had no injuries. They looked up, and saw the Thug's rifle, laying on the ground cut in half, one of the parts blown to pieces which rendered the weapon useless. They turned, and saw a person in a black cloak standing in front of them, holding a four foot katana with a pitch black blade which shined in the sunlight.

" Who the hell are you? We're just doing the world a favor. Fulfilling Justice." The Lead thug said.

" You talk of of Justice, while wielding a weapon. Ganging up on unarmed civilians, and causing unnecessary trouble. Where in all of this, do you see Justice?" The cloaked man said, holding his sword ready. The Lead Thug charged forward, opening a switchblade he pulled from his pocket. The cloaked man jumped back as a second cloaked individual appear from above, executing a perfect Judo throw, sending the man into a nearby rose bush. One of the other thugs swung a chain at the cloaked man, wrapping it around his arm. The cloaked man looked at the chain, and yanked it towards him, pulling the thug with it. When the thug was close enough, the cloaked man round housed him, sending him flying backwards. The cloaked man then used the chain on a lanky thug with an aluminum baseball bat with barbed wire wrapped around it. He wrapped the chain around the Thug's legs, tripping him, making him drop his weapon which slammed into the face of another thug, knocking him unconscious. The other cloaked person belted a larger thug in the right temple, making him stagger into the base of a statue of a famous poet, knocking him unconscious. Another thug drew a handgun, aiming it at the cloaked figure with the chain. Before the thug could fire, the chain wrapped around the weapon, wrenching it out of his hands. The cloaked man grabbed it, unloading the weapon and breaking off the slide, making the weapon useless. The other cloaked figure ran up to another pudgy thug, kicking him straight in the neck, breaking his jaw and knocking him to the ground on top of one of his allies. Due to the hopelessness of the situation for the thugs, most of the ones remaining began to run away. The lead thug had walked up to Renton and Eureka, back handing the Coralian, and lifting Renton up by the collar of his shirt.

" You little Bastard. You've ruined my life. So now i'm gonna end yours." The Thug said. He rose his switchblade, and prepared to slice Renton's throat open. He barely began to swing the knife, when in a flash, the man's hand separated from his wrist, landing on the pavement, the fingers still clenching the knife as blood began to spurt from both his hand and the stump on his arm. Renton saw the cloaked man wipe the blood off of his sword, before replacing in back in it's sheath. The Thug picked up his hand, and ran away, screaming bloody murder.

" You ok?" The man asked.

" Fine, but cutting his hand off went a bit too far." Renton said.

" Sorry about that. I had to make a split second decision." The man said.

" What're your names?" Renton asked.

" My name's Dante Outlander. My friend's name, is Saya Naizumi." Dante said, as he and a girl lowered their hoods. Dante looked about a year or two older than Renton, about 6 feet tall, with snow white hair and ice blue eyes. He took off his cloak, revealing a black leather jacket with a black shirt with a picture of a Siberian tiger underneath, black cargo jeans, and dark gray combat boots. Saya was about half a foot shorter than him, had dark brown hair that went below her shoulders, green eyes, and was wearing a white sleeveless hoodie over a pink shirt with the picture of a tiger on it. She had on a pair of beige track pants, and black hiking shoes. Both of them had a sword on a sheath on their back, The handle of Dante' s was black with red diamonds, and the handle of Saya's white with blue diamonds.

" Well, how about you two?" Dante asked.

" I'm Renton Thurston, and this is my friend and partner, Eureka." Renton said.

" I see she's Coralian. Those wings are amazing." Dante said.

" Thank you." Eureka said.

" So, where're you headed?" Dante asked.

" We're trying to return to Bell Forest." Renton.

" Bell Forest huh? I've been there before. You wouldn't happen to be related to an Axel Thurston would you?" Dante asked.

" Actually I am. He's my grandfather." Renton replied.

" Nice. Well, since Bell Forest is a way off from here, we'll gladly give you two a ride if you need one." Dante said.

" Sure. But you don't seem to have a vehicle of any kind." Renton said.

" Don't worry. Just follow us." Dante said. They walked to an abandoned warehouse, when they saw two large tarps covering something enormous. They removed the tarps, and saw a pair of LFOs. Eureka identified them as Terminus Type R505s. The 505 on the left had dark black armor, a large machine gun attached to the waist, a pair of long blades, one on each arm, a medium sized shoulder mounted laser cannon, and a ten barreled missile tube. The second was similar in appearance and armament, except for a white color scheme. Both had a head unit with a single visor a pair of fin like antennae on both sides of the face

" Wow. Are these your LFOs?" Renton asked.

" Uh huh. Say hello to the Shadow and the Javelin. A year ago Saya and I found these spare parts clunkers in an abandoned military base. After a truckload of elbow grease, and the acquisition of some new parts, these LFO's now perform better than they did when they were first built. Anyways, Eureka, you can ride with Saya. Renton, your with me." Dante said. They started up the LFOs, and soon sped off. As they hit open road, Renton asked Dante a question.

" Dante, how'd you do that back there with the thugs?" Renton asked.

" You mean the fighting? Well, from what I was told, my parents died of disease when I was really young, and was adopted by a family friend. He and his family were part of a mixed martial arts organization, holding tournaments to determine who the greatest fighter was. My adoptive father was both an official and a former champion. He taught me Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Judo, Jujitsu, several other lesser known martial arts styles and how to fight with many different types of weapons. I'd also had a knack for repairing machines. I even found work as a LFO mechanic for a little while. I drifted for a while, when I found Saya. Her parents had been killed in an attack by the Anti Body Coralians and I saved her from suffering the same fate. A short time after, we here about you saving the world, in what is now known as the Second Summer of Love. After that, Saya and I traveled together, and I taught her much of what I know. During that time we found the LFOs, and we started going out with each other shortly after. Though with the war going on and our busy lifestyles, there hasn't been much time for r and r." Dante said.

" War?" Renton asked.

" Right, I keep forgetting you two were gone for a year. The federation army literally split in half. There's the part of the army that allied itself with the GekkoState and Super Izumo, and the others who want to destroy the Coralians. The GekkoState has gained a ton of fame since you two disappeared. They're probably searching for you two right now. You two should be careful. The rebels and their allies have been spreading some awful propaganda against Coralians." Dante said. The LFOs stopped at a large gorge.

" Looks like we'll need to lift over this gap." Renton said.

" Why just lift, when you can soar." Dante said. The 505s then transformed into a jet like form, and quickly passed over the gorge.

" I didn't know a 505 could become something like this." Renton said.

" They can't. Without some modifications." Dante said, a grin ever present on his face. The 505s soared over another large forest, and soon near familiar territory.

" Bell Forest, up ahead." Dante said. They then saw several Mon-soono class KLFs flying towards them. One of the lead Units then opened a com channel with Dante's 505.

" Unknown LFOs, this is Federation military airspace. Identify yourselves or you will be shot down.

" Freelance LFO pilot Dante Outlander, pilot of the Terminus Type R505 Shadow and Freelance pilot Saya Naizumi, pilot of the Terminus Type R505 Javelin." Dante said into the Mic on his head set

" Acknowledged. Wait for Clearance." The pilot said.

" Shadow, Javelin. Your clear for entry. What is the nature of your arrival?" The lead pilot questioned.

" We're dropping off a couple of very important individuals. Can't explain in detail." Dante said.

" Roger that. Continue as you were." The pilot said, the KLFs breaking off moments later.

" Roger." Dante said.

" Why is the military here?" Renton asked.

" The rebels though that you would head back here, and tried to attack. The rebels were defeated, and the Federation established a base here to keep the citizens safe." Dante said. Minutes later, Axel's home and LFO repair shop came into view.

" Last stop, Thurston Residence." Dante said, landing the LFOs near Axel's garage.

Tresor supply base:

" Hey Morita, how're the repairs to the 909 and Devilfish coming?" Holland asked.

" Since the Federation retrieved it, we've been restoring the 909 to its former condition. Right now, it just needs some final additions, and it'll be back to prime fighting condition. The Devilfish is much more extensively damaged and the parts required to make repairs are hard to come by at this time. I can't say when the Devilfish will be operational again at this point." Morita said.

" How long before the 909 is done?" Holland asked.

" Should be done by the end of the day if everything goes smoothly. Tomorrow at the latest." Morita said.

" Thanks. I owe you one." Holland said.

" Well, I guess I should get back to work. See you later Holland." Morita said, walking out of the hanger bay. As Holland turned around, he saw Talho with their child, Charles.

" Holland, what did Morita say?" Talho asked.

" He said the 909 would be repaired either later today or tomorrow." Holland said.

" And the Devilfish?" Talho asked.

" Unknown as to when it'll be repaired. Morita's keeping it here until they can acquire the necessary parts for repairs." Holland said, scratching his head.

" What about Eureka and Renton? Did they have any helpful information?" Talho asked.

" No. They said that everyone they contacted had no luck in finding either of them." Holland said.

" Hopefully we can find them soon. It's just not the same since they disappeared." Talho said.

" I know. I was hoping that when the military contacted us to help with the search, those two might have been a bit less difficult to find. Even after Sumner and Ruri volunteered to join Gekkostate, they haven't been any easier to find." Holland said.

" Well, hopefully they're alright. I've seen a lot of the propaganda against Coralians. It might be dangerous for them. Especially Eureka." Talho said.

" Don't worry, they're tough. Come on, we need to go over those papers Hilda gave us on the supplies we need to estimate the costs." Holland said. Talho nodded, and the two walked towards the lounge.

**The Boy and Girl have discovered new allies. They're help will be required to bring the world to a state of peace. Next time on Eureka 7: The New War. Chapter 2: Bell Forest.**

_A/N: The fin shaped antennae on the 505s are just like the ones on the Terminus Type R505 Kai_


	2. Chapter 2: Bell Forest

_Hello again everyone. Remember, Eureka 7 is owned by their respective Owners. Dante and Saya Belong to me. Also, I noticed some of my mistakes in my last chapter. Thanks Ltscw, I appreciate the help._

Chapter 2: Bell Forest

After landing in front of the Thurston warehouse, Dante looked over a couple logs on his LFO as Renton, Eureka and Saya climbed out of the LFO's. Dante followed soon after, rapping his knuckles.

" Well, you first." Dante said. He and Saya waited for Renton and Eureka to get Axel's attention, provided he was there. Moments later, the door opened, showing Axel Thurston standing in the doorway holding a metal spoon.

" Renton. Eureka. It's good to see you both. I can't believe how long it's been." Axel said, taking both of them into a bear hug.

" It's good to see you too grandpa." Renton said.

" Yes. It's good to see you Mr. Thurston." Eureka said.

" Eureka please, call me Axel. You're making feel old." Axel said with a slight chuckle.

" Grandpa, we have a couple people we want you to meet." Renton said, ushering for Dante and Saya to walk over.

" Hi there Mr. Thurston. My name is Dante Outlander and this is my girlfriend, Saya Naizumi. We met up with your son and his girlfriend in Shift. Apparently they'd woken up in the forest near there. It's a good thing we found them when we did. A group of thugs had met up with them, and they didn't look like they were fans of Coralians." Dante said.

" Really. Are you two ok?" Axel asked.

" The boss got in a few hits on them, but they'll live." Dante said.

" Well, come on in. I know a couple people who'll want to see you." Axel said as they walked inside.

" Maeter, Linck, Maurice, get down here." Axel said.

" The kids are here?" Eureka said.

" Yeah, after you two disappeared Holland and Talho stopped by, gave me a folder showing documents saying that you and Renton are the children's parents, and then asked me to keep an eye on them until you two returned." Axel said as the children emerged from the living room, running to their parents.

" Mama, papa, we're so happy to see you both again." Maeter said.

" Yeah. You both look good." Maurice said.

" Hey Mama, Papa, who're they?" Linck asked, referring to Dante and Saya.

" Oh, these are some new friends of ours. Meet Dante and Saya.

" Mama, the man looks a little scary." Maeter said.

" Maeter, that's rude to say." Eureka scolded.

" It's alright. I get that a lot. Don't worry Maeter, I not as scary as I look." Dante said. Maeter nodded as Axel cleared his throat.

" Well, if you're all hungry, I was about to cook up some dinner before you arrived. I'll gladly set a few more plates if you want." Axel said.

" Why not. I haven't had a home cooked meal in so long. It'll be a welcomed change." Dante said. Everyone else nodded as Eureka and Renton walked with Axel into the kitchen to help him cook. After a meal of roast beef, potatoes and diced peppers, Dante walked outside to his LFO as Eureka, Saya and Renton walked into the living room, turning the TV to a classic movie.

" So Saya, what do you and Dante do most of the time?" Renton asked.

" Well, mostly we're moving from place to place. We've been working a string of odd jobs lately. We had been helping the Federation with some rather dangerous assignments, but we haven't had any work from them in a few months. Hence, we made some extra money the unorthodox way. Helping fix some buildings, manual labor, cleaning, anything if it meant we got some extra bank. Our last job was about two weeks ago. We've been rationing our money as much as possible, mainly living on MREs and the occasional meal at the local diner." Saya said.

" Wow. Seems like you've been leading an exciting life." Eureka said.

" More or less." Dante said.

" We've been doing alright in the money department lately. It helps that we've become accustomed to the taste of MREs. They may not suit an average person's palate, though it keeps us going. I'm also somewhat distrustful of restaurants after a small incident six months ago." Dante said.

" What do you mean?" Renton asked.

" Dante and I had went to a Chinese restaurant after completing another assignment and later that night came down with a bad case of food poisoning." Saya said.

" Oh god, don't remind me. I've lost all faith in fried rice, egg rolls and sushi." Dante said, holding his forehead.

" How bad was it?" Renton asked.

" You know that feeling when your air sick.?" Dante asked.

" Yeah." Renton responded.

" Well, imagine that only a hundred times worse. I was glad when I finally broke down and had Saya get some medicine. I felt like someone force fed me sulfuric acid every minute I waited. Though that medicine wasn't much better. I was out of it for days." Dante said.

" Unfortunately the medicine he needed makes you disoriented. He was delirious for days." Saya said.

" I was partially glad though. The disorientation distracted me from the pain. Though Saya was very irritable for awhile after I recovered." Dante said.

" You were babbling nonsense for two days. I had to chance leaving to buy some aspirin in case you accidentally hurt yourself. You even hit me in the face with wrench." Saya said. Renton and Eureka were on the verge of laughter.

" But, I apologized. That, and you dislocated my jaw when I said I was feeling better." Dante said, stopping as Renton and Eureka were laughing at the display.

" Anyways, It was one of the most painful things that's happened to me." Dante added.

" One of?" Eureka asked.

" Lets see. Took a bit of shrapnel from a federation missile during one of those attacks against the anti body Coralians, was shot by a rebel soldier in my left shoulder shortly after the war began, broke my leg when I was seven. Oh, I almost forgot the time a waitress at a café spilled a tray of scolding hot coffee on my lap." Dante said, causing Saya, Renton and Eureka to burst out laughing after several gasps.

" Laugh it up Renton. Maybe tomorrow I'll take you to that Chinese restaurant I mentioned earlier. I'm sure you'd enjoy it." Dante said.

" Um, i'm ok. Really." Renton said, waving his hands in front of him.

" That's what I thought. Hey Renton, I just noticed, but there happens to be something on your forehead." Dante said. Renton moved the hair partially covering his forehead, revealing a red, jewel like object on his forehead.

" What is this thing?" Renton asked.

" Eureka, you too." Saya said. Sure enough, Eureka also found a jewel on her forehead, this one a bright azure.

" Do you know where they came from?" Dante asked.

" We didn't even know they were there until you said something." Renton said.

" That's odd. Well, I think I speak for all of us when I say that we should get some sleep. How about you?" Dante said.

" Your right. You two don't mind sleeping out here, do you?" Renton said.

" No problem. I'll be right here on the couch if you need me. And please, don't need me." Dante said as Renton threw him a fleece blanket.

" Thanks." Dante replied as he caught a second one and threw it to Saya. Dante flopped down onto the larger of the two couches as Saya made herself comfortable on the smaller one.

" Night." Dante said to Saya.

" You too." She responded as they both fell asleep. Early the next morning, Renton woke up and walked downstairs through the living room, seeing that Dante and Saya weren't there. He grabbed a glass of water and looked outside, hearing the faint sound of clanging metal. He walked closer to the sound, moments later seeing a slight flash. He got a better look, seeing Dante and Saya sparring with each other, their swords creating a flash from the sparks as they connected. Renton watched for a short time longer, before they stopped, bowing to each other before sheathing their weapons.

" Did you enjoy the show?" Dante called in Renton's direction, making him drop his glass onto the ground.

" You knew I was here?" Renton said, slightly nervous.

" Not hard. We heard footsteps but ignored it when we caught a glimpse of you. We knew you weren't going to interrupt." Dante said.

" Why're you up so early?" Renton asked.

" I could ask you the same thing. Anyways, We always wake up rather early. We usually take this time for an early morning spar to help us wake up. Works up your appetite." Dante said.

" Well, since it's seven thirty, how about I wake the kids and we make some breakfast." Renton said.

" Sounds like a plan." Dante said. Saya nodded as they walked back to the house. Renton went to wake up Eureka and Axel while Saya knocked on the kids bedroom, telling them that they were about to make breakfast. Moments later, Renton, Eureka and Saya walked into the kitchen, seeing Dante making eggs, pancakes and sausage, the table already set with butter, toast and a jug of orange juice and milk along with several plates, silverware and glasses. Dante flipped two pancakes into the air, turning long enough to see the three walk into the kitchen, catching the flapjacks in the frying pan with his head turned. After several minutes, he grabbed the plates from the table, placed some eggs on each, and placed them all back at the table.

" Wow. I didn't know you could cook." Renton said.

" While I may not cook stuff like this very often, doesn't mean that I'm incapable." Dante said.

" It's very good." Eureka said.

" He's a good cook. You don't think I keep him around for his personality, do you?" Saya joked.

" Hey, I resent that." Dante said, taking a swig of orange juice.

" Hey grandpa, you need some help with any LFO repairs?" Renton asked.

" No. I've got some special jobs that I alone am allowed to work on. I do have something you and Eureka could do. I need to go shopping but I have to finish up some work for a client who needs their LFO by the end of the week and I've had to slack a bit since the kids are here. If you two could do that I would really appreciate it." Axel said.

" Sure grandpa." Renton said as Axel handed him a list and some money.

" Hey, if you guys need a ride we can take you. We were planning on heading to town today anyway." Dante said.

"Sure." Renton responded.

" Renton. Take my 505. Saya and I will take hers. We may be in town for most of the day." Dante said.

" Ok. Come back around five and Eureka and I should have dinner ready." Renton said.

" I can't wait." Dante said, vaulting over the side of Saya's 505, landing in the cockpit. Saya jumped in moments later, as the LFO sped down the valley towards the city.

" Well, we should probably get going." Eureka said as Renton piloted the 505 towards the city, following Dante. About an hour later, Dante found a place to stop the LFO and climbed out. After activating the security system, Dante cracked his knuckles and looked at Saya.

" Well, where to first?" Dante said. Saya dragged him over to a clothing store, where she immediately began looking through a rack of tank tops.

" Well, since i'm here, might as well get myself some clothes myself." Dante said, walking over to the mens section. He first grabbed a shirt with a dagger with wings on the back and the insignia for the rank of captain. He also grabbed a black sleeveless shirt with a large yin yang symbol on the back. Dante checked the size tags and walked over to another rack, grabbing a pair of dark blue cargo jeans. He grabbed two pairs of shorts, one a pair of camouflage cargo short and the second a pair of regular black shorts. He walked back over to where Saya was, holding a small pile of various articles of clothing. After paying for their wares, they placed everything into the LFO and walked into a music store. Dante and Saya found an inexpensive CD player, buying a CD from the band Breaking Benjamin, and another by a Japanese band Tetra Fang. They also decided to buy a store exclusive greatest hits album and left. They stopped at their LFO then at a café to grab some coffee and walked past a small convenience store, seeing someone wearing a ski mask run out holding a bag in their hands. An older woman opened the door seconds later, holding a broom and looking in the direction the person ran off in.

" Come back here you hooligan." the woman responded.

" Saya. Shall we?" Dante said.

" Why not." Saya said, grinning. They both ran in the direction of the thief, jumping over a person carrying several packages. They saw the person run into an alleyway, slowing down to catch their breath.

" Well well well. What do we have here? Someone who's late for something. No, that doesn't look right." Dante said, appearing as a silhouette from the person's perspective.

" Your right. Looks like we have ourselves a petty criminal." Saya said.

" Well sir, it looks like you have two choices here. Either you can walk back to the storefront, give back whatever you stole, apologize, then quietly enjoy the ride to Jail. Or, we can play the hard way in the slim chance you'll escape. What'll it be?" Dante said. The person looked that them for a moment, then drew a handgun, aiming it at the two.

" Sir, I'll warn you now. You're going to lose. Just put the gun down, and you'll thank yourself for avoiding a pointless beating." Dante said, the man pulling the trigger, the bullet whizzing past his face, cutting a lock of his hair off, making it hit the ground.

" Don't say I didn't warn you." Dante said, jumping down. The man fired several more shots, dropping the bag he'd been carrying, several wads of currency spilling from the opening. Dante merely dodged the shots, laughing to infuriate the man.

" Is that the best you got?" Dante said, squeezing the front of the gun as the slide racked backwards, preventing the weapon from chambering another cartridge. Dante ripped the gun from his hands, pulling the slide back so far the gun snapped in half. The man pulled out a pocket knife, holding it loosely in his hands. Dante shook his head, pointing upwards. The man looked up, seeing Saya fall towards him as she kicked him straight in the face, utilizing the gravity to maximize the effect of the attack. Dante streaked towards the man, striking him with an open palm, sending the man into a fire hydrant, knocking him out cold. Dante grabbed the bag of money and after placing the bills that had fallen out when the man had dropped it, walked back to the store the man had robbed.

" Hello?" Dante said, seeing the woman who initially confronted the thief. She walked over, then hit Dante in the head several times with her broom.

" How dare you come back here after stealing my money!" The woman screamed. Dante caught the broom and stared at the woman.

" I'm not the one who stole the money! He's outside unconscious next to a fire hydrant. Here's your money back." Dante said, handing her the bag of money, rubbing his head from where the woman had hit him.

" Oh my lord. I'm terribly sorry. Please, let me get you some aspirin and something to drink, on the house. It's the least I can do for attacking you." The woman said, taking the bag of money and placing it back into the register, then grabbing a bottle of extra strength aspirin and two cans of soda.

" I'm sorry. I accidentally jumped to conclusions when I saw the bag. Thank you for apprehending that hooligan. Oh, where are my manners. My name is Dorothy.

" I'm Saya, and my friend whom you attacked with your broom is Dante." Saya said as Dante opened the bottle of medicine, taking two pills and washing them down with a swig of soda.

" Your welcome, but please learn not to jump to conclusions in the future. They often lead to painful experiences." Dante said, rubbing his head.

" Thank you for the drinks." Saya said as they left the store. They walked into the park, finding a bench to sit at near a large fountain.

" Dante, today's been so fun. Other than the part where you were attacked by an old lady." Saya said, chuckling

" Yeah. In five or ten years we'll probably laugh about." Dante said.

" I can't believe that something so simple as as some shopping and walking around town could really be enjoying." Saya said.

" Yeah. Then again, considering what we do, I guess even something simple can become enjoyable." Dante said. Saya then leaned again Dante arm, watching the water spray from the geyser in the middle of the fountain.

" I'm glad we did this, it was so fun." Saya said.

" Me too." Dante said, bring Saya closer to him, right before kissing her on the lips. She kissed back, then after a few seconds pulled away.

" Well, I guess we should get back before they send a search party for us." Dante said. Saya nodded, and the pair proceeded back to the LFO, leaving town right after. On the return trip, they noticed several KLFs in the air, flying in their direction. Dante checked the KLFs Ids, then shifted slightly in his seat.

" Saya, strap in. Things may get a little bumpy." Dante said, buckling himself in his seat. Saya did the same, right before one of the LFOs began firing its machine gun while lifting above. Dante sped up the LFO, watching a second LFO fire four missiles at them. Dante maneuvered around the impact zones, then transformed the 505 into fighting mode. Dante deployed the 505's Ref board while Saya aimed the laser cannon. Dante aimed the 505's machine gun and fired, shooting the board out from beneath the closest KLF, sending it crashing into a nearby hill. Saya fired the laser cannon, disabling one of the other KLFs sensors, sending it out of the fight. The third KLF streaked towards them, only to be met by one of the 505's now unfolded arm blades. Dante brought up the blade, slicing off the KLF's right arm and leg. Dante fired one of the 505's missiles, waiting as it spread into several small missiles, destroying two more KLFs. The final KLF retreated, prompting Dante and Saya to immediately return to the ground.

" Those were definitely rebel KLFs. The federation's KLFs have recently been modified and they're also experimenting with new body types. Those KLFs were older models. We'd better inform Axel and the others." Dante said, as the Thurston residence came into view.

" Dante, what happened, we saw a battle in the air." Renton said.

" We were attacked by a small squadron of rebel KLFs. They probably avoided or took out any nearby patrols to instigate an attack. Only one retreated, the rest we either destroyed or disabled." Dante said.

" Renton, we should probably contact the Gekko. It isn't safe to stay here right now." Eureka said.

" Eureka, both of our LFO's have a long range comm unit. Right here." Dante said, showing her the transmitter on his 505. Eureka nodded, and began to access the Gekko's encoded comm frequency.

_Gekkostate:_

" Holland, we're receiving a long range transmission." Gidget said.

" Is it the Federation or Tresor?" Holland responded.

" No. It's not a standard channel, it must be a coded frequency." Gidget said.

" Where's the signal originating from?" Hap said, looking over the ship's data logs. Gidget isolated the frequency's origin, moments later her eyes widened.

" I don't believe this. It's coming from Bell Forest." Gidget said.

" Your kidding!" Holland and Talho said, the latter holding Charles.

" Patching through the transmission now." Gidget said.

" Gekkostate, this is Eureka. Repeat, Gekkostate, this is Eureka."

" Eureka, we read you. Is Renton there?" Holland said.

" Yes. Here he is." Eureka said, moving over to allow Renton to appear in the transmission.

" Hi everyone." Renton said.

" It's good to see you two. What frequency are you using? It isn't a local or military frequency, nor is it Axel's private comm.

" I think I can clear that up." Dante said, activating the transmitter in Saya's 505.

" Who's this?" Holland responded.

" Dante Outlander, freelance LFO pilot. Your friends are using the comm in my Terminus R505. I'm using my partner's transmitter.

" Holland, it's okay. They helped us return to Bell Forest." Eureka said.

" Where have you two been, we've been searching for you both for over an entire year." Holland said.

" We woke up in a forest a few days ago near Shift. We were ambushed by a group of thugs who weren't very fond of Coralians. Our friend and his partner helped us out of that situation." Eureka said.

" Thank goodness. We're near the Marceles Archipelago right now. Hap, how are the conditions?" Talho said.

" If the trappar currents remain at their current levels, we should be able to arrive in Bell Forest in no later than five days, three if the conditions continue in the trend they're in right now." Talho said.

" Talho, is that your baby?" Eureka asked.

" Yep. Charles Dewey Novak." Talho said.

" Holland. I wanted to inform you that my associate and I encountered a squadron of rebel KLFs about thirty minutes ago. They must've either followed us or discovered our location. We'll keep Eureka and Renton safe until you arrive. I suggest that Axel and the kids join you. This location is compromised and would be dangerous for Axel and the kids to remain here alone." Dante said.

" I agree. Your a good kid. We'll been there ASAP." Holland said.

" Roger. Over and Out." Dante said, ending the transmission.

" Doggie, set course for Bell Forest. Gidget, maintain radio silence unless its the Thurstons. Hap, inform us of any significant changes in Trappar levels. Jobs, Woz, I need you to keep an eye on the ship. Let us know if anything happens to the engine or the computer systems. Ken-Goh, keep the weapon systems ready. Keep the ship in patrol mode, I want no rebel units trying to ambush us." Holland ordered. The Gekko then gained altitude proceeding towards the high altitude leylines.

" Renton, let your grandfather know about the rebels, then get together everything you, Axel and the kids will need." Dante said.

"What about you?" Renton asked.

" I'm gonna take a quick trip to Bell Forest's military base and inform them of the situation, they'll need to keep vigilant. Saya, stay here and keep an eye out for any more rebel units." Dante said. He jumped into his 505, transformed it into fighting mode then jumped onto its ref board. After inspecting a current map of the area, Dante proceeded towards the Bell Forest military outpost. Minutes later, several federation KLF units converged on his position, keeping a close eye on him.

" Terminus Type R505, you've entered restricted federation space, state intentions or we will use deadly force." the lead pilot commanded, keeping his KLF's machine gun trained on him.

" This is Dante Outlander, pilot of the 505 Shadow. I need to speak with the base commander immediately." Dante said.

" Follow us, but don't try anything smart." The pilot ordered, leading him to the base's hanger. When he stepped out, an LFO pilot in his mid thirties sporting a goatee and a scar over his right eye emerged from the lead KLF.

" Come with me. I'll take you to Colonel Bradley." The pilot said. After a few minutes of following the KLF pilot, Dante waited for the man to knock on the door.

" Colonel, there's someone here to see you." the pilot said.

" This better be important." the man said from the other side of the door. The door opened, revealing a man in his early forties in standard officer's garb wearing spectacles hanging on his nose.

" Come in." The Colonel said, slight annoyance in his voice.

" Now, what do you want to tell me." The Colonel announced.

" Colonel Bradley, exactly one hour ago I encountered several rebel KLFs that had entered federation airspace." Dante said in a professional manner.

" Are you sure?" The Colonel asked.

" Their identification codes as well as the appearance of the KLFs denoted them as enemy units and refused to order a warning before attacking." Dante replied.

" Where are they now?" The Colonel asked.

" All but one unit was destroyed or disabled in the battle. It retreated, though i'm expecting that it will return with reinforcements." Dante said.

" Do you know why they attacked?" The Colonel asked.

" They were after two people of explicit importance." Dante said.

" Do you mind revealing the identities of those they were pursuing?" the Colonel asked.

" Renton Thurston and Eureka." Dante said. The Colonel gasped, grabbed his handkerchief from his pocket, wiping the sweat from his brow.

" _The_ Renton Thurston and Eureka?" The Colonel asked. Dante nodded.

" Well, why are you telling me all this?" the Colonel asked.

" I was hoping that your forces could patrol further out to keep any rebel forces from arriving until the GekkoState can get them out of there." Dante said.

" The GekkoState huh? I'll do it kid. It's the least I can do for the saviors of the world. What's your name?" The Colonel asked.

" Dante Outlander. Good day Colonel Bradley." Dante said, leaving the room shortly after.

" The legendary freelance pilot. Here? This job is stressful enough." The Colonel said, grabbing a small glass, filling it with whiskey.

" Well, that worked out better than I was hoping it would." Dante said, getting into his LFO and flying into the air. When he arrived at the Thurston residence, he saw Saya in her 505, scanning for any enemy KLFs.

" See anything while I was gone?" Dante asked.

" Nothing. We're safe, for now." Saya said, as Renton and Eureka emerged from the house.

" Well?" Renton asked.

" I've let the military know about the attack, and they'll keep an eye out, but we should still stay on our guard. Saya, you and I will keep guard for another few hours, then Renton and Eureka will relieve us from there until 1 am." Dante said.

" We'll bring you something to eat. You two must be hungry." Renton said as he and Eureka proceeded back inside. Minutes later, they brought out two trays with burgers, fries and a mug of coffee.

" Thanks." Dante said as he and Saya ate, keeping an eye out for any rebel KLFs. The next few days were uneventful, seeing only the occasional federation KLF roaming the area. In the skies near Bell Forest, the Gekko was beginning its flight to a lower altitude.

" Ken-Goh, ready the weapons systems and be ready to activate the shields. Talho, you're in charge while Matthieu, Hilda and I head to the Thurston residence. Stay airborne for now, and keep ready. We may need to make a quick getaway. Sumner, Ruri, keep ready to deploy in case the Gekko comes under attack." Holland said as he, Matthieu and Hilda boarded their respective LFOs.

" 909, 808 and 606, you are ready for launch." Talho said as the three Terminus LFOs deployed from the catapult, riding their ref boards towards the Thurston residence.

**The Boy and Girl are close to reuniting with close friends. Can the boy and girl find help from an old friend.**

_Well, it seems like my revisions are turning out much better than I was hoping. Hopefully. Stay tuned for Chapter 3: One hell of a reunion._


	3. Chapter 3: Reunions

_I'm really enjoying how much my revisions are improving my stories. I'm hoping that everyone else enjoys my revisions to my stories as well as the new chapters eventually to come. Well, enough babbling, have fun._

Chapter 3: One hell of a Welcome

" Holland, are you sure that it was really them?" Stoner said, looking through the eyepiece of his camera

" It's them. I'm sure of it. Alright, we've entered the outskirts of bell forest. Be careful, we don't know if there are any rebel battleships or KLFs are in the area. When we get their we'll have to keep them safe until the Gekko can in get into position." Holland said, continuing to proceed towards Bell Forest.

" Hey Saya, you see that, about three klicks to the south?" Dante said, checking his binoculars.

" I'm not sure, let me check radar." Saya said.

" They're not withing range yet, but we should be able to see them shortly."

" Hopefully it's the Gekko or maybe the 909, 808 and 606." Dante said. Seconds later, the radar in Saya's 505 began picking up several blips.

" Dante, one klick northeast." Saya said.

" I see it. Several rebel KLFs. Saya, stay here and wait for the Gekko or the LFOs." Dante said.

" What about you, there's easily three dozen KLFs heading our way?" Saya said.

" Me? Well, i'm going to go welcome our new friends." Dante said, putting away his binoculars and readying his LFO. Seconds later, it jumped on its ref board and flew into the sky towards the advancing rebel KLFs.

" Saya, where's he going?" Eureka asked.

" He's going to stall the rebels until the Gekko or the LFO's can get here." Saya said.

" Alone?" Renton said.

" He has to. He needs me to stay here to protect you." Saya said.

" I hope he knows what he's doing." Axel said, walking out of the garage.

" Are you ready grandpa?" Renton said.

" Digger and some of his associates have agreed to watch over the shop in my absence. It's all up to that kid and the Gekkostate now." Axel responded.

" Rebel KLFs, this is the 505 Shadow. Leave the area or face the consequences." Dante said.

" All units, it's just one 505, smoke him." the lead KLF pilot responded, raising its machine gun, firing several shots at him. Dante maneuvered around the flak and readied both arm blades. The Shadow gained altitude, then jumped into a steep dive, slicing the legs off two of the closest KLFs, sending them crashing into the ground below. Before the rebel units could react, he fired two of the missiles from the left missile pod, scattering into several more which connected with another rebel unit before he could react.

" Everyone, be careful, this must be one of the federation's ace pilots." The lead KLF unit responded.

" Your only half right." Dante interrupted, firing several burst from the 505's machine gun, destroying the board of one and severing the torso of another. Three of the KLFs then rose above them, firing several missiles at the 505. Dante maneuvered past the first barrage, performed a cut back drop turn, then destroyed the remainder as well as another KLF unit with the 505's laser cannon. Seconds later, a boomerang knife sliced through another KLF, followed up by two burst from laser cannons which destroyed another four KLFs.

" Looks like you could use a hand." Holland said as the 606 and 808 streaked past.

" Though I usually don't need assistance, it would really be appreciated Holland." Dante said, slicing the arms off of another rebel unit.

" So, what's the situation?" Holland said.

" Well, you see that i'm thrashing a large squadron of rebel KLFs, making sure that none of them get close to where Renton and the others are. Pretty straight forward." Dante said.

" I see. Well, show me what your made of." Holland said, firing his laser cannon, destroying several of the missile fired from another group of KLFs.

" I intend to." Dante said, going into a steep dive, jumping off the 505's board, slicing through an enemy KLF's arm and legs before landing back onto the board.

" Impressive." Holland said, going into a cut back drop turn before slicing apart another KLF with his boomerang knives.

" This is 01, we're terribly outmatched. Ordering all units to retreat immediately." the lead KLF pilot ordered as the remaining KLFs proceeded away from Bell Forest.

" You did good out there. Lets head to the Thurston residence." Holland said as he and Dante lifted towards the garage, seeing the 808 and 606 in vehicle mode waiting. Holland and Dante also transformed their LFO's, then jumped onto the ground.

" So this is who was taking on all of those KLFs?" Matthieu said.

" What were you expecting, a by the book military pilot in his late 30s?" Dante said.

" No, but." Matthieu started before just groaning.

" Anyways. Saya, come on out." Dante said. Saya emerged from her LFO, provoking a wolf whistle from Matthieu before Hilda punched him in the nose.

" Sorry Matthieu, she's taken." Dante said.

" So, this is your associate. She seems nice." Holland said.

" Be careful Holland, she is nice but she has a right hook that'll dislocate your jaw before you know what hit you." Dante said.

" Kinda reminds me of Talho." Holland replied.

" Well, there's the Gekko." Stoner said, adjusting the lens of his camera. The Gekko landed a short distance from the garage. Moments later, the 606 and 808 began bringing Renton, Eureka, Axel and the kids things to the Gekko while the rest walked inside Axel's house.

" Holland, what will we be doing once we leave Bell Forest?" Eureka asked.

" We'll be heading to Tresor before we officially join up with the New Federation Army where we'll receive our first orders." Holland said.

" We'll be joining the military?" Renton asked.

" That's right. The military's main objective at this point is to halt the growth of the Rebel Federation Army, the portion of the military dedicated to the eradication of the Coralians. We're hoping that you can join up with Gekkostate again." Holland responded

" It may be dangerous, but we need to protect the Coralians. I'm in." Renton said.

" I know your judgment is sound, I'm in too." Eureka said.

" Dante, Saya?" Holland said.

" Why not. The military would have stuck us with someone eventually anyway. I'm in." Dante said.

" I though for a long time that the Gekkostate was a bunch of pirates and thugs who cared about no one but themselves, but i've learned that they are truly heroes. I'm in." Saya said.

" Then it's settled. Welcome to the Gekkostate." Holland said.

" Holland, we should probably get going. The rebels may try to counterattack and I don't want anyone destroying my house and garage again.

" Right. Lets go." Holland said. After proceeding back to the Gekko with the 909, both 505s and an unknown LFO hidden under a tarp, the Gekko rose into the air towards the high altitude leylines.

" Everyone, i'm sure your all glad to see the return of Renton and Eureka." Holland said.

" Hey Eureka, those wings of yours are so beautiful." Gidget said.

" Thank you." Eureka responded.

" Hey Renton, have you and Eureka kissed yet?" Matthieu asked. Renton nodded, his face slightly red. Holland cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention.

" I now want to introduce two new members of the Gekkostate, Dante and Saya." Holland said. Seconds later, Dante and Saya walked in, waiting for everyone's reaction. Several seconds passed as the two merely stood there, looking at the assortment of people the Gekkostate was comprised of.

" She looks so cute!" Gidget said, breaking the silence.

" Hey kid, Holland tells me your pretty good around LFO's." Matthieu cut in next.

" Saya, you've got to tell me your secret about how you keep your hair that shiny." Gidget said. They next several minutes were spent answering any questions the crew members happened.

" Hey Dante, why don't you tell us how you and Saya met." Talho said.

" I don't know, it's not necessary a story we really like to get into." Saya said. The rest of the crew began badgering the two, until they finally agreed to tell them.

_Flashback: Gremicoa_

_I had been helping my mother with shopping and we'd just gotten home. I turned on the news, and saw a live news report of something hitting the ground near the city._

" _Hey mom, look at this." Saya said_

" _. . . . this just in. Some sort of missile or something just crashed into the ground here, though we are unaware of what it is at this time." The news reporter said. Seconds later, a Kute-Class Coralian appeared over the city, seconds later bringing about the arrival of hundreds of anti body Coralians._

" _They appear to be some sort of unidentified organisms, we are unsure at this time whether they are hostile or not." The news reporter said, just moments before one of the creatures created a ball of energy which destroyed a part of the reporter's face, splashing blood over the camera lens._

" _Oh no." Saya said. Seconds later, screams could be heard outside. Saya and her mother looked outside, seeing people down the street torn apart by the Coralians or by the energy balls they were creating. Seconds later, her father emerged from the garage._

" _Saya, Martha, this way." He called._

" _Roland!" Saya's mother called, just as he was impaled by the spike of a ball shaped Coralian adorned with hundreds of spikes. It's large lavender eye dilated before floating towards them._

" _Saya, stay back." Her mother commanded, as the Coralian began spinning. Saya closed her eyes, hearing her mother scream then the tearing apart of flesh and the splatter of blood. She felt tears escape her eyes as she waited for the inevitable. Seconds later, she heard a slicing sound and flesh tearing before being covered in what she figured was blood. She didn't feel any pain, and opened her __eyes. She saw a man the same age as her in a black cloak, holding a mid sized katana and like her, covered from head to toe in blood._

" _Come on, it's not safe here." he said, grabbing her hand and leading her to a nearby house with a cellar. The man found an oil lantern, lighting it with a nearby match._

" _Are you ok?" He asked. Saya merely sat down on the floor trembling._

" _Why did this happen? Why did this Happen!" Saya screamed at the man. The person slapped her which slightly calmed her down._

" _Now that you're calm, all I know is that it wasn't a spontaneous attack. Something triggered it. Those things were acting like they were protecting themselves. I think the military might have something to do with it." The man said._

" _The military, how could they be a part of this. Who are you?"_

" _The name's Dante. What about you?" Dante asked._

" _Saya. What were those things?" Saya asked._

" _From what I can discern, they appear to be a type of Coralian." Dante said._

" _Coralian?" Saya asked._

" _Coralians are thought to be the sentient beings created from the Scub Coral. I'm sorry for your loss." Dante said._

" _Thank you. I'm just upset. All this death and destruction for no reason. Are you sure the military really is behind this?" Saya asked._

" _I'm not one for taking things at face value. I could be wrong, but my gut feelings are usually right." Dante said._

" _I'm not hearing anything. Are those things gone?" Saya asked._

" _Only one way to find out. Stay here." Dante said, unsheathing his sword. He slowly walked up the staircase to the cellar doors, swiftly kicking them open, seeing nothing but the remains of both the people caught in the massacre and the petrified bodies of the antibody Coralians._

" _It looks like it's safe. Come on, we need to leave. This place is a derelict." Dante said._

" _Are you sure? Besides, where are we going to go?" Saya asked._

" _I'm sure they won't bother us again. As for where, anyplace we can clean up. I don't know about you but i'm gonna smell awful if I don't clean some of this blood off of me." Dante said._

" I remember that day. We searched the area later after the incident." Talho said.

" We were miles from there before sundown, you wouldn't have seen either of us. It was difficult for a while." Dante responded.

" Relapses?" Mischa asked.

" Yeah. She eventually came to terms with it, but it's still a very painful memory. I was glad when I heard that Dewey was gone. Senseless bloodshed, no matter the excuse or goal, is still senseless bloodshed." Dante said. Saya then left the room and walked towards the hanger.

" Where's she going?" Moondoggie asked.

" Haven't you been paying attention? She wants to be alone now. I'll check on her later." Dante said.

" Dante said that her parents had been killed by antibody Coralians, but I didn't know that it had affected her like that." Eureka said.

" Well, I'll see all of you around." Dante said.

" Where're you going?" Holland said before being punched in the arm by Talho. Dante just continued walking as the door shut behind him.

" What the hell was that for, Talho?" Holland asked as he rubbed the area Talho had struck.

" Isn't it obvious?" Talho said.

" Saya? Where are you?" Dante asked. He rubbed his chin for a moment, then walked to where her LFO was. He saw her sitting inside, looking at a picture of her parents she managed to save before leaving her home.

" I still wish I could've gotten to know them." Dante said

" My mom would've loved you. My dad would've eventually warmed up to you. He likes to get to know people first." Saya said.

" You had a good life until that day. You knew both your parents, had a normal life." Dante said.

" It's hard. I never even got to say goodbye." Saya said.

" I wish I had gotten there just a few moments earlier." Dante said.

" At least their only child managed to survive. That enough probably keeps them at peace." Saya said.

" Come on, i'm sure you hungry. Since the Q and A session is more or less over, maybe we can relax in the lounge." Dante said, holding his hand out with a smile on his face.

**The boy and girl have now reunited with old friends. Will their new found strength conquer the enemy? Next time on Eureka 7: The New War. Chapter 4: First Fight.**


	4. Chapter 4: First Fight

Well, here's the last Eureka 7 Revision I need to make before I need to start making new chapters. Enjoy.

Chapter 4: First Fight

" Is he ok?" Gidget asked as she looked at Dante, leaning back on the couch asleep.

" He's fine. He's just tired. He didn't get much sleep when we were waiting for you to get to Bell Forest." Saya said.

" He'd better wake up soon or Holland's gonna be on his case. He isn't one for laziness on his ship." Hilda said.

" It's not like he's just been sleeping. He's been working on the LFOs with Axel and had helped clean the ship a few times." Saya responded

" Just make sure he wakes up soon. We're getting close to Tresor." Hilda said as she and Gidget walked towards the bridge.

" Hey Dante, wake up." Saya said.

" Already? I was hoping to get a little more downtime. Maybe later then." Dante said.

" I know. It'll be awhile before we can get into more sensible sleeping patterns." Saya said.

" Yeah. Well, i'm gonna go work on my 505. If anyone needs me let them know where I am."

" Got it." Saya said.

" Renton, hand me that wrench." Dante said as Renton handed him the took before he continued with his work.

" Hey Dante, what're you working on?" Renton asked.

" Just some routine maintenance on the hydraulics and the chassis." Dante responded.

" Renton, go get Eureka and the rest of the crew, Axel wants to show you all something." Talho said, holding Charles in her arms.

" Right Ms. Talho." Renton responded, quickly running out of the hangar.

" You've got a pretty complicated machine here. How'd you turn a junker LFO into a combat worthy machine?" Talho asked.

" One of the fighters in the MMA coalition my adoptive father ran had a cousin who was a former KLF pilot and a son who was an LFO mechanic. They taught me the basics and let me work with them on some civilian LFOs they worked on. From there some more work during the summer as a part time job, then I decided to do some traveling. Partly to see the world beyond my hometown, and also to do my father a favor by demonstrating some basic MMA moves to entice people to either enter tournaments or think about enrolling in MMA self defense classes. The first overshadowed the other after Gremicoa though." Dante said.

" When was the last time you talked with him?" Talho asked.

" Around the same time Renton and Eureka disappeared. We're a little at odds right now. He was rather upset that I didn't call him as much as I had promised when I'd first left, and he wasn't pleased by the amount, or lack thereof, of people learning about the MMA association." Dante said.

" He sounds kind of like Holland. Caring but hotheaded." Talho said with a smile.

" I guess you could say that. My adoptive mother was much more supportive of my decisions. He's okay, but he has his moments. Regardless, he's a decent man. He raised me well." Dante said. Moments later, the rest of the crew plus the kids and Axel walked into the hangar.

" Why're we all here?" Matthieu asked.

" I have an announcement. Since the return of Eureka and Renton, and their decision to rejoin Gekkostate, they need an LFO to pilot. Axel?" Holland said, ushering for Axel to walk over to the LFO under the tarp.

" Working with Morita and some of the staff from Tresor, we came up with the plan to develop a new LFO from a recently discovered archetype. I present to all of you, the Gladius." Axel said as he and Holland pulled the tarp off of the LFO. The Gladius very closely resembled the Nirvash in shape, but sported a blue and green paint job with red stripes on the arms and legs. The head resembled that of the Nirvash with blue eyes instead of green. The cockpit of the LFO also resembled that of the Nirvash with the exception of some redesigns of the layout and a redesigned rear area for up to three adults.

" Grandpa, this is amazing." Renton said.

" I'm not done yet. Look inside the cockpit." Axel said. After getting inside, Renton looked towards the compac drive and gasped.

" The Amita drive? But how?" Renton asked.

" Apparently my son had one more secret. During an inventory of a military storage warehouse, they came across a box containing a second amita drive and a copy of the original Ageha plan. Top military analysts took the documents to study them while Jurgens gave the drive to Holland, who in turn gave it to me. From there I decided to create another LFO for the both of you to fill in the hole left by the sacrifice of the Nirvash." Axel said.

" Thank you grandpa. We really appreciate it." Renton said.

" Hey Renton, how about we see how you two and that LFO perform." Holland said. Soon after the 606, 909 and Dante's 505 were all flying alongside the Gladius.

" The LFO has the regular vehicle and fighting modes as well as a flight mode, just like the Nirvash Spec 2. The LFO's main weapons are a pair of Boomerang knives and two sets of homing lasers located in the chest. The Gladius can also deploy chaff, flares or smoke depending on the mission." Axel said.

" Roger." Eureka responded.

" Renton, you and Eureka have to land a direct hit on all three LFOs with the practice machine gun to test your skills and the performance of the LFO. Try your best." Holland said.

" You know we will." Renton and Eureka both responded. After being given the signal, the duo immediately went to work, landing several hits on the 606 in just seconds.

" Aw man, you guys are too good." Matthieu responded.

" Or maybe your skills are slipping Matthieu." Dante said, dodging a burst from the duo.

" Cut the chatter, both of you." Holland called as the Gladius fired, landing two direct hits to the cockpit of his 909.

" What?" Holland responded, prompting laughter from the crew and Matthieu.

" Come on Renton, I know you two are better than this." Dante said as he dodged another burst from the duo's weapon. Dante responded with a trio of bursts from his own, slightly clipping the Gladius' right arm.

" That was close. We need to take him down fast." Renton said.

" Right." Eureka responded. They lifted higher into the air, performed a cut back drop turn then fired two bursts at Dante. Dante maneuvered around the blasts, then grabbed his ref board, aiming his weapon as he quickly lost altitude, firing several shots directly at the Gladius. The Gladius at the same time fired, the blasts passing right by each other. Moments later, both LFOs were struck with the paint rounds from each other's weapons. Dante deployed his ref board, then met up with the Gladius back near the Gekko.

" Had that been a second earlier I would've won." Dante said.

" That was one of the boldest moves I've ever seen." Eureka said.

" If it works." Dante responded.

" Alright. Head on back." Holland said. After cleaning the LFOs of any remnants of the simunition, the Gladius redeployed to run some diagnostics.

" Everything looks normal." Mischa said after a string of basic maneuvers to observe the LFOs statistics.

" Just try the amita drive and that will be all for today." Mischa asked.

" Ready Eureka?" Renton asked.

" Ready Renton." Eureka responded, as they both activated the amita drive. Seconds later, the trappar levels in the area began to expand as Gladius was enveloped in a slew of light. Seconds later, the familiar seven swell phenomenon appeared, the Gladius riding on multicolored trappar.

" These levels are off the charts, but perfectly stable. Even more so than the Nirvash in both spec 1 and 2." Mischa said.

" Holland, the trappar levels in the area are stabilizing." Hap said.

" Its as if the seven swell effect is under more control with the Gladius. We'll have to keep an eye on that LFO for awhile." Mischa said.

" Renton, you and Eureka are done for today, come on back." Holland said as the phenomenon ended. In the lounge, Dante and Saya were listening to one of the CDs they'd bought earlier that week. Moments later, the intercom turned on.

" Dante, could you and Saya come to my office?" Mischa asked.

" Sure. Come on." Dante said, turning off the CD player.

" What do you think she might want?" Saya asked as the two of them walked to Mischa's office.

" Dunno. I guess we'll find out." Dante responded. The two walked in, seconds later seeing Mischa looking over some of her medical reports.

" Dante, I want you to wait outside for a few minutes." Mischa asked.

" Sure." Dante said, walking outside the room and leaning against the wall.

" Okay, I just need to perform a quick physical and you can go." Mischa said. Dante was still leaning against the wall when Renton and Eureka walked past.

" Hey Dante. What're you doing outside Mischa's office?" Renton asked.

" Mischa called both of us down here then had me wait outside. Probably performing a physical." Dante said.

" She usually does this for new people on the ship and inquires about any sorts of contagious diseases or recurring ailments." Eureka said.

" Makes sense." Dante said. The two walked down the hall as Mischa's door opened.

" Dante, you can come in now." Mischa said. Unfortunately she had spoken too soon. As Dante walked into the room, he saw Saya still getting dressed.

" Dante!" Saya screamed, covering herself with her clothing. Dante covered his eyes with his hand and looked away.

" Oh my. I apologize Saya. I spoke too soon." Mischa said.

" Just. Just get dressed, i'm going back outside." Dante said, walking out the door again and leaning against the wall, slowly slinking to the floor.

" Hey Dante." Holland asked as he walked by.

" Don't. Just. Don't." Dante said.

" I'm guessing this isn't a good time. Just come see me later." Holland said, continuing to walk down the hall..

" Now you can come in Dante." Mischa said. Dante walked in, seeing Saya now fully clothed.

" I'm sorry, both of you." Mischa said.

" It's okay Mischa. Just try not to jump the gun in the future." Saya said, leaving the room.

" I apologize. Are you okay?" Mischa asked.

" That's a question you should've asked her." Dante said.

" I'm sure your both embarrassed and I don't think an apology is enough." Mischa said.

" You think. I hope this doesn't put a strain on our relationship." Dante said.

" I'm sure she'll be alright. If not you can go and talk with Talho or Hilda. They should be able to help you." Mischa said as she started conducting tests. Minutes later Mischa wrote down the results of her tests and filed the contents away.

" Ok, your free to go. I'm still sorry about earlier." Mischa said.

" Thanks Mischa. I'll keep what you said in mind. If everything goes well consider that apology accepted." Dante said as he left.

" This is the Gekko, requesting permission to land." Talho said into the headset.

" This is Sonia, your clear to land. Welcome to Tresor." Sonia said. Moments later, the Gekko touched down, driving into the nearest available hangar. Once everyone began walking out, Morita, Dr. Bear, Sonia and a few scientists greeted the group.

" Morita, it's good to see you again. We have a few people we want you to meet." Holland said. Seconds later, Renton and Eureka walked down the ramp, followed by Dante and Saya.

" Renton, Eureka. It's wonderful to see you both again after such a long time. How are the both of you?" Morita asked.

" We're fine, thanks for asking." Eureka said.

" Eureka, when did you get those wings?" Sonia asked.

" A short time after we entered the earth before the second summer of love." Eureka said.

" I hope you've been alright. I've heard about that awful propaganda being spread by the rebels." Morita said.

" We actually got into a bit of a mess do to that. Though Dante and Saya managed to help us out of it." Renton said.

" Who?" Morita responded.

" Hey Morita. Long time no see." Dante said.

" Oh, you two. How have you been." Morita said.

" We've been well. Though until recently we were living a little rough. Money doesn't go as far as it used to." Dante said.

" Right. Well it's good to here from the both of you. Are you going to be taking on some more missions from the U.F?" Morita asked.

" Well actually, we're joining the Federation as a part of Gekkostate." Dante said.

" I see. Renton, how did you and Eureka enjoy your little homecoming present?" Morita asked.

" We really like it. It reminds us of the Nirvash." Eureka said.

" The funny thing is, this archetype appeared around the same time as the disappearance of the Nirvash. I almost wonder if it isn't a coincidence." Morita said.

" That is funny." Renton said.

" My little cub!" Dr. Bear yelled, spotting Mischa walking off the ship.

" Greg, you know that I hate that stupid name." Mischa said, glaring at the man.

" I'm sorry." He responded, twiddling his thumbs.

" Remember that we're divorced, Dr. Bear." Mischa said.

" Hey Morita, can I talk with you?" Dante said.

" Sure, come with me." He responded, the two of them walking down the hall into the building.

" You have that part I asked for?" Dante asked.

" It took some time, but yes. We received it about a week ago." Morita responded.

" I'm going to have your technicians install it. I need it installed before the Gekko leaves. Though that shouldn't be for at least a few days due to upgrades on the other LFOs. Keep me posted." Dante said as he walked back towards the rest of the group.

" I'm hoping the LFO can take it." Morita said.

" Renton, I was wondering if you and Eureka could come with me. I'd like to perform some tests on you two." Dr. Bear asked.

" Just as it isn't anything extreme." Renton responded. After conducting the tests, Dr. Bear asked the two a few questions.

" Ok, I've noticed the jewels on your foreheads. Do you know how and when you received them?" Dr. Bear asked.

" We're not sure how, and we only noticed them after Dante and Saya noticed them about a week ago. I'm guessing they may have appeared after we disappeared." Renton said.

" I see. I'm wondering whether those jewels might not be some sort of link between you two.

" Link?" Eureka asked.

" It's been theorized that people who are very close to each other develop a sort of bond. This bond allows for a sort of telepathic link. Have either of you been thinking the same or very similar thoughts lately." Dr. Bear asked.

" Not that we're aware of. If it is true, we'll let you and Mischa know right away." Eureka said.

" Glad to here it. Just one more question. Have you two participated in sexual intercourse?" Dr. Bear asked.

" What? No, we haven't!" Renton said, thoroughly embarrassed.

" I'm not sure what that is, Dr. Bear." Eureka said.

" Greg, what're you doing?" Mischa asked.

" I've been performing some tests on these two along with having them answer a few questions. Also, were you aware that Eureka is unaware as to what sexual intercourse is?" Dr. Bear said.

" I wasn't. I was hoping that Talho or Hilda might have explained the subject to her. I could have her watch an educational video about it though." Mischa said.

" Well, you two are free to leave. I hope to see you both again in the future." Dr. Bear said, popping a piece of candy into his mouth.

" Eureka, come with me. You too Renton." Mischa said.

" Why me?" Renton responded.

" I want you to watch it with her. She'll feel less nervous if someone watches it with her." she responded as they walked back towards the Gekko.

" I've already learned about this in school." Renton said.

" Renton, could you please watch it with me. It'd make me feel better." Eureka asked. Renton took a deep breath and wiped his forehead of sweat.

" Sure Eureka." He responded.

" Good. Follow me and I'll prepare the video." Mischa said.

" Hey Dante, where do you think those two are going with Mischa?" Saya asked.

" Don't know. Lets find out. Hey Mischa!" Dante yelled from the front of the Gekko as he and Saya ran towards them.

" What is it Dante?" Mischa asked.

" Where are you taking these two?" Dante asked.

" Oh, I'm having the two of them watch an educational video on sexual intercourse." Mischa said.

" Ah, the birds and the bees. I remember that talk. One of the funniest days of my life, seeing my dad try to explain the topic without just saying it. That and a semester in a health class" Dante said.

" The same here. My parents had a fun time trying to explain it. Emphasis on trying. It helped that my high school went over the topic the week after so it saved my parents a heart attack trying to fully explain." Saya said with a laugh.

" Well, we'll leave you two alone then. Have fun." Dante said as he and Saya walked away. During the movie, Eureka clung to every detail with interest. Renton kept his composure and managed to watch the entire movie.

" It's amazing what humans are capable of." Eureka said.

" Yeah." Renton said, slightly nervous.

" I just want to tell you two that if you do decide to do so, make sure your aware of the possible risks. Just keep that in mind and the both of you should be ok. You two can leave now." Mischa said.

" Later Mischa." Renton said.

" Hey Saya." Dante said.

" What is it?" She asked.

" I'm sorry about earlier." Dante said.

" I said it's okay. You didn't mean to look, and Mischa already apologized. It was just a misunderstanding." Saya said, giving him a peck on the cheek.

" Thanks. I was hoping you weren't upset by that." Dante said.

" Only momentarily. After I left I knew it was an accident, which wasn't even your fault to begin with. Simple case of right place at the wrong time."

" Yeah. Well, lets go check on Renton and Eureka. I want to see if they enjoyed their movie." Dante said.

" Have you ever though about your future?" Saya asked.

" Not that I can remember. I've had too much to worry about in the present to think about the future." Dante said.

" I always though that I'd be a doctor or specialize in computers. Maybe get married in my late 20s, maybe have a couple kids, nothing complicated." Saya responded.

" I didn't think you wanted to be a doctor. I think my father wanted me to one day take his place in the MMA association. I'm all for martial arts, but it doesn't seem like the kind of thing I'd want to take up as a career. I'm too much of a free spirit." Dante said.

" Hey Renton, you in there?" Dante asked, knocking on his door.

" Yeah. Come in." Renton responded. Inside Dante and Saya saw Renton and Eureka sitting on their bed watching some TV.

" How was your movie?" Dante asked.

" It was, okay." Renton said.

" It was so interesting. It's strange what humans are capable of." Eureka responded.

" Yeah. I'm sorry to cut this short but we'll see you later." Dante said.

" It's alright. Later." Renton said as they walked out of the room.

" I'm gonna so see Morita about the upgrades to my LFO. I'll meet you in the lounge in half an hour." Dante said.

" See you then." Saya responded.

" Hey Morita, how goes everything?" Dante asked.

" Everything's going fine. The part is being added as we speak. I only have to tell you a couple things. Number 1. It will be very difficult to control, and Number 2, I advise that you don't overuse it. It could either short out your LFOs power supply or put your life at risk." Morita said.

" Don't worry. I know the risks." Dante said.

" That's good to here. Just be careful." Morita said.

" I will. See ya." Dante said as he walked out of the repair hangar and towards the Gekko. He walked into the lounge, seeing Saya sleeping on the couch. Dante smiled and sat down on the other side of the couch, turning on the TV to kill some time.

" Morita, how're the upgrades going?" Holland asked.

" They're actually going much quicker than expected. They should be done early tomorrow morning. Also, we received a transmission from the Super Izumo. Jurgens asked if you were here, and if so to tell you that he would be here later this afternoon or in the evening. He wants to speak with you about something." Morita said.

" That's good to hear. If he sends you any more transmissions tell him that I'll greet him when he gets here." Holland said.

" I'm sure he'll be glad about that." Morita responded.

" Hey Holland. Get some rest. You look like you need it." Morita said.

" See ya later." Holland said. He walked back to the Gekko and looked into the lounge, seeing Dante and Saya both asleep. He continued walking down the hall and into Stoner's room, where he was looking over his camera and some of the articles he'd already begun work on.

" Hey Stoner, how's the new edition of Ray=out coming along?" Holland asked.

" I'm saving some of the content I was originally planning on putting into this issue for next time since we have a couple new members. I was thinking of adding them into this issue. I'll leave out some articles for next time." Stoner said.

" Can't wait." Holland said, leaving Stoner to his work. After dozing off while watching TV, Dante woke up, seeing that it now dark outside. He looked to the clock, seeing that it was now after midnight. He picked up Saya and brought her to her room, layed her down on her bed and left for his own room. The next morning after a hearty breakfast made by Renton and Eureka, the crew began loading the LFOs back onto the Gekko before the ship headed out for its next destination.

" Listen up, once we leave our first orders are to destroy a string of Rebel supply bases up north. Jurgens has also provided us with Intel that shows the location of rebel battleships as well as the location of an LFO storage sight at our first target. I'll brief you more when we arrive at the location." Holland said. Moments later, the bridge crew went to their respective positions and waited for the doors of the warehouse to open.

" Gidget, are we clear to leave." Talho ordered.

" We have confirmation from the tower." She responded.

" Hap, trappar counts."

" Trappar counts holding steady." He responded.

" Jobs, engines."

" Engines are at optimum." Jobs responded.

" Woz, are the skies clear?"

" Area clear of enemy KLFs, we are clear to launch." Woz responded.

" Alright. Doggie, punch it." Talho ordered. Seconds later, the Gekko sped down the runway, lifting into the air as the VRFs began channeling trappar.

" Alright, until we arrive at the way point, the ship's on patrol mode." Holland ordered.

" Dante, what're you doing?" Renton asked as he walked into the hangar, seeing Dante in his LFO.

" I'm looking over everything to familiarize myself with the upgrades and calibrating the layout to my preferences." Dante said.

" Holland's asking for you. He sounded rather urgent." Renton responded.

" Alright. I can get back to this later." Tell him I'll be there in a few minutes."

" Gotcha. Also, what were you talking to Morita about back at Tresor?" Renton asked.

" I was just letting Morita know about some of the previous modifications I made to the LFO to make sure he understood the layout." Dante said.

" Oh, I thought it was something serious. Never mind then." Renton said as he left the hangar.

" Well, everything looks good." Dante said to himself as he left the Hangar for the Bridge, seeing Holland sitting in the command chair reading.

" What's up, Holland?" Dante said.

" Oh, Dante. I was wondering. Do you have experience in commanding troops?" Holland asked.

" Yeah. Some of the missions I've taken from the Federation required me to lead some KLFs to take down specific targets. Why do you ask?" Dante said.

" We're separating our LFOs into two roles. The 909, Gladius, Flestnia and Sumner's 505 will act as air support for the Gekko while the 606, 808 and your 505s attack the compound. I'm trusting you to lead your group in the attack." Holland said.

" You sure?" Dante asked.

" I've learned a lot about you from Jurgens. Your an exceptional pilot. Your skills might even be on par with Renton and Eureka's. I know that I couldn't ask this of anyone else on the ship but you. Are you up to it?" Holland asked.

" Those rebels won't know what hit them Holland. I accept." Dante said.

" Glad to here it. We'll be at the way point in three days ." Holland said, going back to reading his book. Dante walked out of the bridge and into the hall, halfway down noticing something strange.

" A tripwire. I wonder." Dante thought, snapping the tripwire. He walked past where it was set up, and nearly slipped. He carefully knelt to the floor, feeling something on the ground. He smelled the substance and figured out it was soap.

" Someone's greased the floors. Of course." Dante thought, walking back a bit before sliding down the hall until the floor was clear of anything. He walked towards Renton and Eureka's room, just as the two walked out.

" Hey, have you two noticed anything strange?" Dante asked.

" You're going to have to be a bit more specific i'm afraid." Eureka said.

" Well, after I got done talking to Holland I started walking down the hall, find a trip wire, then nearly slip on soap covering the floor.

" I know what's going on. You see, the kids like to pull pranks on new members, and it looks like your open season.

" Oh crap." Dante said.

" What is it?" Renton asked.

" Saya said she was going to the lounge at around three to talk with Gidget and Hilda, and the hall leading there is still booby trapped." Dante said, running towards the lounge. Unfortunately, Saya was just walking towards the lounge when Dante found her.

" Saya, watch out." Dante called. He caught up to her just as she walked down the sabotaged hallway.

" What is it." Saya said. Dante was still going too fast as he caught up to her, accidentally running into her, knocking them both to the ground and onto the greased floor, making them slide down the into the lounge doorway with a loud bang. Seconds later, Hilda opened the door, seeing Dante and Saya on the floor. Unfortunately, Dante was kneeling over Saya in a very provocative position.

" What the hell are you two doing?" Hilda yelled.

" It's not what it looks like." Dante said as he hurriedly tried to stand up, slipping and knocking his head against the wall.

" Are you ok?" Hilda asked, about to walk out the door.

" Don't. The floor. Is greased." Dante said, holding the back of his head.

" The kids. I should've guessed. Here, let me help you up." Hilda said, holding out her hand. She pulled them both in and layed them on the couches.

" Gidget, i'm gonna clean up the hall. I want you to go get Mischa." Hilda said.

" I think that last fall got me good." Dante said, holding out the hand he'd been covering his hand with, covered with blood.

" Those kids. Let me finish cleaning the hall and Mischa will fix you right up." Hilda said as she walked back into the hall. Minutes later, Mischa walked into the room.

" Are you two ok?" Mischa asked.

" Other than a few bumps and bruises, Saya should be fine. I don't think I was as lucky." Dante said, showing Mischa the injury on the back of his head.

" This is serious. Have you been feeling dizzy since the injury?" Mischa asked.

" A bit. That and throbbing pain." Dante said.

" Most likely a concussion. I'll take an X-Ray, give you some painkillers and some rest and you should be fine. Saya, help me bring him to my office." Mischa said. Saya nodded, and helped her boyfriend to the infirmary. After an X-Ray, Mischa gave Dante some painkillers and had him lay down on one of the cots in the room.

" Mischa, how is he?" Saya asked.

" Just a mild concussion. The blood was from a gash near the wound. Must've been from the edge of one of the supports in the hall he'd hit when he'd slipped. After some rest he should be fine. I want you to keep an eye on him for me when I let him go though, just in case." Mischa said.

" That's good. Now, to go talk with Renton and Eureka." Saya said.

" Let me know if your not feeling right later. I hear you took a bit of a fall as well." Mischa said.

" Don't worry, I will." Saya said. She quickly ran towards Renton and Eureka's room.

" Hey Saya. Where's Dante?" Renton asked.

" In the Infirmary." Saya responded.

" Is he ok? What happened?" Eureka asked.

" I was heading for the lounge when he tried to stop me. We both slid to the door. When he tried to stand, he slipped and hit his head against the wall. He's in the Infirmary with a concussion right now. Hilda said the kids were the ones who set that trap." Saya said.

" Yes. But now they're in big trouble. We'll handle this Saya." Renton said. They walked down the hall, seeing the kids go into the lounge.

" Kids, come out here, now." Eureka said as she and Renton waited outside the door. Seconds later, the three walked out to see their parents.

" What is it momma?" Linck asked.

" Your three are in big trouble. We know about the trap in the hallway near the lounge." Renton said.

" We were just playing a prank on the new members, what's the problem?" Maurice responded.

" The problem is that one of those new members in now in the infirmary with a concussion due to your prank." Eureka said.

" Will they be ok?" Maeter asked, her expression changing.

" Saya will be fine, but Dante isn't in good shape right now. You three are grounded for the next two weeks. Your confined to your room except for bathroom and meals. That's final. When Dante is better I want all three of you to apologize to him. If you behave we might think about shortening it to ten days instead of a full two weeks." Renton said

" But momma." Maurice tried to argue.

" But nothing. To your room, now." Eureka said, slightly louder. The kids hung their heads low and did as they were told.

" I can't believe they've started that again. Pranks are one thing, but this is the first time one of their pranks caused any real injuries." Renton said.

" I remember. They pranked you quite a bit. I still wasn't much of a good mother then, but I've learned since then." Eureka responded.

" Come on, lets go see how Dante's doing." Renton said as he and Eureka walked towards Mischa's office.

" Hey Saya, where's Dante, I usually see him with you or down by the LFOs." Holland said.

" He's in the infirmary right now. One of the kids pranks sent him their with a concussion. He tried to stop me but I'd started to slip when he ran into me, and we both went sliding into the lounge door." Saya said as Holland cringed at the thought.

" You're ok though?" Holland asked.

" Mostly. Just a few bruises. When we slipped, he accidentally landed over me in a very embarrassing way. Hilda startled him and he hit one of the supports when he tried to stand. He's got a mild concussion and lost a bit of blood from a gash right where he hit his head. Mischa says he'll be fine but wants me to keep an eye on him when Mischa lets him leave." Saya said.

" Where are the kids now?" Holland asked.

" I'm not sure, but they're probably being scolded by their parents right now." Saya said.

" I'm gonna go see how he's doing. See ya." Holland said as he walked towards Mischa's office. Moments later, he sees Renton and Eureka walking towards Mischa's office as well.

" Renton, Eureka. Are you two here to see Dante too? " Holland asked.

" Yeah. We heard about what happened. I hope he's okay." Renton said.

" From what Saya told me, he just has a mild concussion and some bleeding from a gash near the injury. I'm not sure if he's awake though." Holland said.

" That's good to know. They walked inside, seeing Mischa doing some reports in her office.

" Holland, its good to see you. You too Renton, Eureka." Mischa said.

" How's Dante doing?" Holland asked.

" He's just resting now. I was going to let him go soon but I can wake him up now." Mischa said.

" Dante, wake up. There're a few people here to see you."

" Uh, man. Hey Holland, Renton, Eureka. I guess you've heard." Dante said.

" Yeah. Saya told me." Holland responded.

" Where're the kids?" Dante asked.

" They're in their room right now, grounded for two weeks. I want them to apologize to you later." Eureka said.

" Don't worry about it right now. I'm just glad i'm okay. Where's Saya?"

" I saw her near the lounge last. She was walking near where mine and Talho's room is. I'm not sure now though." Holland said.

" At least she's okay. Sliding into that door was quite painful." Dante said.

" Since your looking better than you were, you can go, Dante. Just be careful and let someone know if you're having any trouble." Mischa said.

" Sure." Dante said, standing up slowly.

" Well Dante, where're going to go first?" Holland asked.

" Gonna go see Saya, get something to eat, then get some real non painkiller induced sleep. Catch you later." Dante said.

" Talho, its Saya. May I come in?" Saya asked.

" Sure. What do you need?" Talho asked, putting Charles in his crib.

" Well, you heard about the incident near the lounge earlier, right?" Saya asked.

" Yeah. I heard Dante took a bit of a fall there. Is he ok?" Talho asked.

" Yeah, just a mild concussion and a gash." Saya said.

" That's good. Now, about why you're hear." Talho said.

" Well, after thinking back about what happened, I realized that it was my fault that he got hurt." Saya said.

" That's not true. You're just blaming yourself." Talho said.

" I'm not just blaming myself. He knew about the trap and tried to stop me from falling for it. It was my fault, why can't you understand that." Saya said, tears streaking down her face. Talho frowned, stood up and smacked Saya hard in the face. When she turned, Talho walked her over to her bed.

" He was trying to protect you. He accidentally caught both of you in it, and merely hurt himself in the process. The only ones in any way responsible for his injuries are the kids, and they've learned their lesson. He's okay, your okay, the kids have been dealt with by their parents, and that's that. Relax. You've had a heck of a day. I can already see some bruises showing. Come see me again if you need to talk to me." Talho said.

" Thanks Talho. I knew I made the right choice coming to you." Saya said.

" Hey Saya." Dante said a few minutes later as she was walking towards her room.

" Hi Dante. Are you feeling ok?" Saya asked.

" Much better. It'll take more than a concussion to keep me down for long." Dante said.

" Yeah, you're right. You've suffered worse and still survived. I was scared for a little while there." Saya said.

" You need to have more faith in me. Anyways, i'm gonna grab a bite to eat, then get some rest. Those painkillers leave you numb and tired. See ya." Dante said with a slight laugh as he walked towards the kitchen. A few days later, everyone was assembled in the conference room where Holland was going over the details of the attack.

" Alright, here it is. The rebels have a staging area where several trucks and scud bikes are stored while they're stocking up on supplies. North of the motor pool is a cluster of warehouses where new enemy KLFs are being developed as well as a hangar for several KLFs and ground based armor. Near the main base in a communication's tower that connects the base with airborne ships and neighboring bases There's confirmation that a few ships are in the air over the area. Jurgens recently informed me that the Super Izumo will be accompanying us in the attack to provide support. They'll arrive from the west while we flank from the east. Renton, you and Eureka, along with Sumner, Ruri and myself will provide air support and engage any airborne KLFs while Dante leads the ground assault with Saya, Hilda and Matthieu. Jurgens will also dispatch some of his KLF squadrons to assist us. That's all. Dismissed." Holland said, as everyone went to their stations. Once in his LFO, Talho had Gidget patch through a link to Jurgens.

" Holland, we're two klicks from the base and have encountered no enemy resistance. I'm having some of my KLFs arrive by ground to catch them off guard." Jurgens said over the radio.

" Roger, we're almost at our way point. We'll be their in about four minutes. Holland out." Holland said as the LFOs were loaded onto the catapult.

" 909, launching."

" 808, launching."

" 606, launching."

" 505, launching."

" Flestnia, launching."

" Gladius, launching."

" Shadow, launching."

" Javelin, launching." The pilots called as they began flying in front of the Gekko.

" Hilda, I want you to take down their communications and then proceed to the motor pool. Matthieu, I want you on her six. Saya and I will take care of the warehouse and the KLF hangar. We'll meet up from there and take down the administration building. Clear?" Dante said.

" Crystal." Hilda replied. Seconds later, Dante's group descended lower to get a better vantage on the target.

" Ken-Goh, do you have the rebels in sight?" Talho asked.

" Target locked." Ken-Goh replied.

" Fire!" Talho commanded. Seconds later, three lasers fired from the Gekko's left cannon, hitting the right wing of one of the rebel battleships, sending it careening into the forest below.

" Captain, one of our battleships just went down!" A rebel communications officer said.

" What? Put the base on full alert and have all battle ready KLFs ready to counterattack." The Rebel Captain ordered. He looked out the window of the communications post to see an LFO aim its laser cannon at the building, summarily destroying the building and its inhabitants.

" Communications tower down, proceeding to the motor pool." Hilda said as she and Matthieu flew just above the tree line on their ref boards.

" Saya, take out the warehouse then meet up with me at the hangar." Dante said as Saya's 505 transformed, firing her laser cannon, destroying a part of one of the buildings. Down towards the hangar, several KLFs had assembled outside the hangar awaiting new orders when Dante caught sight of them, firing two missiles in their direction. The missiles caught two KLFs, while a third was hit by shrapnel. The remaining KLFs transformed, firing several shots at Dante's 505, which had flew into the air on its ref board, firing several rounds from his own weapon, disabling one of the KLFs while the remainder began their pursuit. Dante dodged their attacks and then saw one of the KLFs aiming its laser at him. Dante maneuvered then stopped. When the KLF fired, he dodged, the laser hitting the hangar straight on, trashing most of the equipment inside. The KLF pilot then rushed towards Dante, who impaled the KLF on one of his 505's armblades. Seconds later, the remaining KLFs were destroyed in a hail of machine gun fire. Dante looked and saw Saya's LFO lifting above, observing the scene.

" Warehouses destroyed, and I see you did a number on the hangar." Saya said.

" I didn't do anything. I tricked one of those pilots into doing it for me." Dante replied.

" Holland, we've taken down the hangar and warehouse, proceeding to the administration building." Dante said as he and Saya lifted towards their next target.

" Roger. Matthieu and Hilda have taken down the communications array and are currently engaging forces at the motor pool. One of Jurgen's KLF squadrons will assist your advance on the administration building." Holland said.

" Copy. Saya, you ready?" Dante asked.

" Always." Saya replied as the administration building came into view. They saw three Federation KLFs flanking from the east, dueling with rebel KLFs. Seconds later one of the federation KLFs exploded, the cause a ground mounted laser cannon. Dante fired two missiles which destroyed the laser turret. Dante saw five rebel KLFs painted in a black and red color scheme.

" Be careful, those KLFs must have ace pilots controlling them. This won't be easy." Dante said.

" Roger, more units should be arriving shortly. The air defenses should be mostly subdued by now." One of the federation KLF pilots said.

" Saya, engage the two on the far right, I'll engage the other three." Dante said.

" Gotcha." Saya responded, firing several shots at the two Ace pilots on the right. Dante fired his laser cannon at the other three, prompting the KLFs to dodge. Saya and two of the ace pilots battled in the air while Dante and the other three stuck close to the ground.

" Give up kid, you can't be Impala's Broadsword." The lead unit said, raising a large Gatling style cannon. Dante dodged the shots and returned several of his own, the KLFs dodging his retaliatory strike. One of the other KLFs fired two shoulder mounted machine guns along with an external machine gun, filling the air with flak, causing minor damage to the 505's torso. Saya dodged the attacks used by the two KLFs she was fighting, noticing their near symmetrical movements. Saya waited for the most opportune moment, then sliced the one on the right in half, causing the KLF to explode. The other KLF stopped momentarily, staring at the wreckage plummeting to the ground.

" You bitch, that was my brother! I'll kill you." the remaining pilot said, charging directly at Saya. Saya fired several shots, but the KLF managed to knock her 505 off its board and score several shots, heavily damaging the LFO.

" Dante, i'm going down!" Saya said, managing to used the boosters on her LFO to lighten her descent as her LFO crashed into the forest below.

" Saya, Saya!" Dante called into his mic as the KLF then joined the others already surrounding Dante.

" Any last words before you die, punk?" The KLF pilot said.

" Yes. Enjoy hell." Dante said, flipping a switch on his console. His LFO flew into the air, as his compac drive shone a rich blue. Seconds later, the LFO disappeared. Before the KLFs could react, the KLF with the Gatling cannon's head unit was removed before being torn in half. The other two KLFs that had originally fought Dante then began firing everywhere, before being sliced in half diagonally.

" Where are you? You bastard! Come and fight me like a man!" The remaining KLF pilot said. Seconds later, The KLF unit's right arm was sliced clean off. The KLFs other arm and legs soon followed.

" I surrender! Please, stop! Please, I give up! Have mercy!" The Pilot begged. Dante's LFO reappeared in front of the remains of the KLF, staring at the cockpit.

" Mercy. Those who indiscriminately slaughter don't deserve mercy. The rebels support the actions of a mad man who embraced genocide. If that man were still alive, no one, Coralian nor human, would be alive right now. Everyone and everything would've been destroyed. That being said, think about your actions during your eternity in hell." Dante said, extending his LFO's arm blade, stabbing it into the cockpit of the KLF, making the remains explode. Dante's 505 turned towards the administration building and fired his laser cannon, razing the entire area. He jumped on his ref board, and managed to find the area where Saya's 505 had crashed. Dante landed his LFO, and ran towards the badly damaged machine. Dante couldn't see into the cockpit, so he hit the emergency release switch located under a panel starboard of the cockpit. He saw Saya, unconscious and bleeding from a wound to her forehead as blood trickling from wounds on her face and arms. Unsure if she had broken anything, Dante carefully pulled her from the LFO and layed her on the ground while he returned to his LFO.

" Holland, Saya's 505 is down and she's in bad shape. I need to get her back to the Gekko immediately."

" Gotcha, I'll have Talho fly the ship low to make pick up easier." Holland said.

" Roger. Thanks Holland." Dante said. After getting Saya on board the Gekko, Dante saw Mischa and Talho waiting with a stretcher.

" Set her down carefully." Mischa said as Dante placed her on the stretcher.

" Hey Dante, what happened when you were facing all those KLFs?" Holland asked.

" Well, Shadow and Javelin were test beds for an experimental system that could allow LFOs and KLFs to move at supersonic speeds. Awhile after we found them Morita's team managed to finish the components needed to complete the system. That last skirmish was its first test. Looks like it was a success. If I manage to work out any bugs in the system, I might add the same system to Saya's 505. Though after today it'll be awhile before her LFO's even operational." Dante said.

" I've never even heard of such tests. There was speculation, but I had no idea that they'd actually done experiments on the system." Holland said.

" Probably some sort of countermeasure against the sheer power of the Nirvash. That system could've taken down Eureka a few years ago I imagine. It'd be much more difficult now with the amita drive and Renton." Dante said.

" I knew it was a good idea to let you lead. I see a bright future ahead of you." Holland said.

" I just hope that Saya's okay. She wasn't in the best condition when I found her." Dante said.

" Don't worry. She'll pull through. From what I've seen she's pretty tough. Just go relax. We've had a tough day." Holland said. The next morning, Dante walked to Mischa's office to check on Saya, when he saw Mischa walking towards him down the hall.

" Hello Dante, has your head been bothering you?" Mischa asked.

" No, i'm fine. What about Saya?" Dante asked.

" She suffered a concussion from the impact as well as some lacerations from the glass from her instrument panel. That along with some blood loss and a broken arm, she'd taken quite a beating from the crash. She'll be in the infirmary for at least a week before she'll be allowed to leave. She'll be okay, but it will take some time for her to fully recover." Mischa said.

" That's good to know. Is it okay if I see her?" Dante asked.

" Go ahead. She'll still be in pain so try not to excite her too much." Mischa said. Dante nodded and went inside the infirmary, seeing Saya shield her eyes from the light of the hall.

" Sorry. How are you feeling?" Dante asked.

" Bad question." Saya said, Dante noticing the pain in her voice.

" Yeah, you're probably right. At least you'll recover." Dante said.

" What happened to that pilot who attacked me?" Saya asked.

" He's gone. He made his choice, and payed the consequences for his actions. Those pilots were the first to experience the Shadow's new upgrade." Dante said.

" The Sonic booster. So that's why you kept running off. You finally had Morita install that. I hope you had no trouble." Saya said.

" None, though i'm not gonna push my luck. It's been rather hit and miss lately." Dante said with a slight chuckle.

" I can't believe i'm stuck here for an entire week." Saya said.

" At least you can catch up on some sleep. I have a feeling that Axel and I are gonna have a hell of a time repairing your LFO. Sleepless late night repairs, here I come." Dante said jokingly.

" How is it?" Saya asked.

" The Javelin's in real bad shape. I need to fix the hatch to the cockpit, the left arm and right leg need serious repairs, and your control panel needs to be replaced. Axel has a small ship with some engineers to bring us the parts we need and assist us in the repairs. It's easier than returning to Tresor right now." Dante said.

" I can't believe how close I came to death today. Just the thought of it frightens me." Saya said.

" It's okay. If your anything like me, you're not gonna let something like this hold you down. In a month or two, your arm will good as new." Dante said, kissing his girlfriend on the forehead.

" Get some sleep. For the both of us." Dante said, leaving the room.

_WOOHOO! I finally finished revising something. I'm amazed. I've finished three revisions in one day. I'm proud of myself. Anyways, stay tuned for Chapter 5: Sucker Punch._


End file.
